The use of lasers to perform cataract operations on the eye is not new — certainly not in Hyderabad which has become the ophthalmic capital of India, attracting patients from all over India to some of the nation's top eye hospitals.
The twin cities are home to the world's first woman ophthalmologist to perform cutting edge FemtoSecond Laser Assisted Cataract Surgery (FLACS) — a relatively new technique that has been hailed world-wide for introducing a ' paradigm shift' in cataract surgery, by automating many of the critical steps in the procedure to increase its accuracy and enhance patient safety.
Cataract & Refractive Surgeon, Dr. Sreelakshmi Nimmagadda is Managing Director, Win Vision Eye Hospitals, Begumpet, Hyderabad. She has intimate knowledge of the technology in which she is something of a pioneer, having served co-investigator and principal investigator in Femto Second Laser studies for ophthalmology laser company Bosch & Lomb Technolas, in Munich, Germany.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle & Asian Age, she squarely addresses the perception that state of the art technologies like FLACS might just be unaffordable to many:"There is always a debate whenever there is a paradigm shift. There are umpteen studies on FLACS (Femtosecond laser assisted cataract surgery) to prove its ability in the field of cataract surgery. With every paradigm shift the initial cost involved is high. When Phaco was introduced it was criticized because of its cost and today it's been practiced by many Ophthalmologists in the most peripheral parts of India. Today femtosecond laser surgery for cataract may be facing financial challenges but I hope the cost will be rationalized soon & its benefits will be enjoyed by the larger population of India."
—IndiaTechOnline
